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„Looking back to the future“
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PHW Gruppe - The Founders

Heinz Lohmann (1901 - 1975)
Heinz Lohmann (1901 - 1975)

These words from Heinz Lohmann are more than just a quote. With them, the company founder established the foundations of the WIESENHOF philosophy. From the outset, Heinz Lohmann always had the right feeling for a promising “idea with legs”.

Paul Wesjohann (1905 - 1989)
Paul Wesjohann (1905 - 1989)

With just 5.70 marks in his pocket, Paul Wesjohann found a job on a farm in Rechterfeld in the Oldenburg Münsterland, now in Lower Saxony, in the 1920s. In 1932, he opened a small agricultural business with a hatchery. With his hallmark diligence, thrift and courage, he steadily expanded the company.

History

Founding years

Let us cast a glance back at 1932. A devastating economic crisis was raging, with high unemployment and cutbacks in welfare benefits. Nevertheless, there were also some young business people around with a healthy dose of optimism and entrepreneurial initiative: Heinz Lohmann in Cuxhaven and Paul Wesjohann in Rechterfeld fell into this category.

1932

Paul Wesjohann establishes an agricultural business with a hatchery
Heinz Lohmann establishes Deutsche Fischmehlfabrik, a plant producing fish meal.

PHW Gruppe - A new beginning after the war

Starting all over again after the war was difficult. Buildings lay in ruins, but the two
entrepreneurs rolled up their sleeves and worked hard to rebuild their businesses.
Paul Wesjohann focused increasingly on poultry breeding.

1932 - 1937

1932:
Paul Wesjohann establishes an agricultural business with a hatchery
Heinz Lohmann establishes Deutsche Fischmehlfabrik, a plant producing fish meal.

1937:
Purchase of Wesjohann farm in Rechterfeld, Lower Saxony

1951 - 1956

1951:
Re-establishment of Paul Wesjohann’s agricultural business 
installation of microbiological laboratory / fermentation begins


1956: 
First poultry farm / abattoir / launch of successful “Goldhähnchen” product range

1959 - 1961

1959:
Establishment of the egg wholesale business

 

1961:
Hatchery founded in southern Germany (Brüterei Süd)

1965 - 1967

1965:
Founding of the Weser-Ems hatchery jointly with Lohmann
Establishment of Geflügel-Kontor poultry trading business / WIESENHOF brand developed

 

1967:
Founding of KG Junggeflügelmasterzeuger (Master Producer, poultry chicks)
LTE (animal nutrition) established

1968 - 1970

1968:
Foundation of TAD-Pharma

 

1970:
Formation of Paul Wesjohann & Co. as a KG (limited partnership)
change of legal structure in 1972 to GmbH (limited liability company) with the formation of the LOHMANN & CO. Aktiengesellschaft (LAG)

1972 - 1978

1972:
First shareholding acquired in abattoir (Holte/Lohne) / founding of MEGA

 

1978:
Start of both agricultural and poultry farming business operations in the USA

1982 - 1984

1982:
ALLFEIN (convenience products) founded

 

1984:
NUTRILO (food supplements) founded

1987 - 1991

1987:
Formation of the LOHMANN-WESJOHANN Group
Wesjohann acquires a 51% stake in LAG

 

1991:
Start of vaccine production in the USA

1991 - 1994

1991:
Start of business operations in the former East German states: abattoirs / poultry farms / animal feed

 

1994:
TAD research succeeds in producing live vaccines

1995 - 1996

1995:
WIESENHOF introduces Guarantee of Origin / takeover of Heidegold abattoir

1996:
LTE and TAD-Veterinär merge to form LAH

1997 - 1998

1997:
LAG fully-owned by Wesjohann family / Heinz Lohmann Foundation established

1998:
Division of the LOHMANN-WESJOHANN Group / Formation of the PHW Group

2000 - 2001

2000:
Start of poultry farming using alternative husbandry methods (free range chickens)

2001:
Shareholding acquired in Drobimex
launch of own sausage production in Rietberg, NRW
winners of “Goldener Zuckerhut” food industry award

2002 - 2003

2002:
Participation in RWS and entry into the turkey segment (pre-hatching/hatchery/slaughter)
market launch of duck specialities

2003:
Commissioning of new hatchery in Möckern, Saxony-Anhalt
participation in Bomadek

2004 - 2005

2004:
Bavarian Animal Welfare Award for free range chickens
acquisition of Grimme WH Entensepz. (duck specialties) and Duck Tec in Bad Belzig (focusing on pre-hatching processes)

2005:
Takeover of the duck abattoir in Neutrebbin, Märkish-Oderland (Brandenburg)
new hatchery at Drobimex in Poland

2006 - 2007

2006:
Takeover of PetCom Minden (animal feed mixes for pet food industry) in NRW.

2007:
New hatchery plant at Rechterfeld, Lower Saxony
TAD sold to Krka, Slovenia

2008 - 2009

2008:
Acquisition of production plant Schloss Göhrde, Dannenberg, Lower Saxony, by Allfein Feinkost

2009: 
Paul-Heinz Wesjohann hands over the management reins to his son Peter Wesjohann | New building and commissioning of turkey abattoir near Geestland in Wildeshausen, Lower Saxony | Sustainability Council established

2010 - 2011

2010:
First company in the poultry industry to introduce climate-neutral production processes
partnership with the Centre for Sustainable Management
all production sites gradually awarded sustainability certification

2011:
Introduction of the WIESENHOF Privathof concept
construction of new mixed animal feed plant in Eberswalde, Brandenburg
construction of a new deep-freeze logistics centre in Zerbst, Saxony-Anhalt

2012 - 2014

2012:
WIESENHOF becomes Werder Bremen’s official shirt sponsor

2014:
Construction and commissioning of new Regenstauf hatchery in Bavaria
disposal of LAH to Elanco
establishment of Groenlandkip in the Netherlands
acquisition of shares in Esbro in the Netherlands

2015 - 2016

2015:
Fire and subsequent reconstruction of Donautal Geflügelspezialitäten (poultry specialities)

2016:
Fire and subsequent reconstruction of Oldenburg Geflügelspezialitäten (poultry specialities)
acquisition of shares in integrated poultry production business Ameta, Bulgaria

2017 - 2018

2017:
Inauguration of the new Central Laboratory for Microbiology & Residue Analysis in Lohne, Lower Saxony

2018:
Establishment of the new business unit of alternative protein sources through strategic investments and partnerships (Beyond Meat, SuperMeat, Enterra, Good Catch)
publication of the first Sustainability Report
Allfein Feinkost acquires production plant Klaus, in Laage, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania